


Date me?

by lavenderlotion



Category: Glee
Genre: Awkward Flirting, First Dates, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Kissing, M/M, Not Blaine or Klaine Friendly, Season/Series 02, auditions, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22573822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderlotion/pseuds/lavenderlotion
Summary: He watched Jeff drag his hands down his face, and noticed that his cheeks were bright red. “Uh, that was so not smooth.”Kurt shrugged, his heart racing as he laced his fingers together so he wouldn’t do something ridiculous like reach out and tug Jeff into a kiss. “I didn’t think it was too bad. The execution could use some work, but it was very direct.”
Relationships: Kurt Hummel/Jeff
Comments: 51
Kudos: 210





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> S2, E9

Kurt sat patiently, doing his very best not to worry. He knew that he had sung well and he was confident in his voice. If nothing else, he knew he had done the song justice, and now he just had to wait. It would be fine. It would all be fine. Kurt fiddled with the fabric bunched over his crossed knee, smoothing out a wrinkle, and then smoothing out another when that caused one to form. He tapped his foot to the beat of  _ Don’t Cry for Me Argentina  _ as he went over his performance in his head. 

It wasn’t nearly enough to properly distract himself, and Kurt couldn’t stop thinking of the pile of homework that awaited him back in his dorm. He had so, so few weeks to catch up on so, so much content. Luckily, none of his professors were forcing him to catch up on any assignments deployed throughout the semester, but they’d each given him a very thorough handout that included every bit of content he needed to teach himself to be ready for the end of semester exams. 

He was incredibly lucky that they were all so competent—which was  _ so _ different from the staff at McKinley it was almost shocking—but it was still a lot of work to complete in a relatively short time frame. 

In fact, all of Kurt’s free time had been spent studying to the point where he had stopped going home on the weekends—as much as he missed his dad it just wasn’t worth the time he lost. He had stopped getting coffee with Blaine after class ended and only attended that Warbler rehearsal and consequent audition because he had missed singing with a longing sharp enough he’d been able to excuse a few hours of his day to singing. 

And honestly, if he wasn’t a little worried about becoming a gremlin who never saw anyone, he probably wouldn’t have gone. 

Standing in the background and swaying along was  _ not _ what Kurt had expected when Blaine first talked up the Warblers. It was clear why, after seeing the group in action, Blaine’s view of how the team worked was quite...skewed.  _ Blaine _ got a lot of time to shine, and  _ Blaine _ had creative input, and  _ Blaine _ had the time of his life, and that was all because the Warblers seemed to adore  _ Blaine. _

And all of that was clear from just the first meeting. 

Yes, the boy was cute, and a bit charming, but he was also quite obnoxious, if Kurt was being completely honest. The way that Blaine sang and danced all over furniture was a bit much even for Kurt’s dramatic tastes, and over the last few days, Kurt had found him to be a little condescending. He  _ really _ hadn’t liked Blaine telling him to keep his arms down—he danced on couches for Gaga’s sake!

Kurt's attention was drawn to the boys next to him when the whispered conversation he had been ignoring increased in volume. He did his best to tune it out knowing that it wasn’t any of his business. Kurt honestly hadn’t the time for gossip anymore, as horribly heartbreaking as that was, so he did his best to pay as little attention as possible. 

“Uhm...” the boy next to him said loudly then trailed off into nothing, but it caught Kurt’s attention enough that he moved his eyes to look over, only to find the blonde boy looking at him. Kurt turned his face the rest of the way and tried for a polite smile which earned him a very bright grin. “Hi, uh, Kurt?” 

“Hello...Jeff is it?” Kurt asked, his voice rising at the boy’s name as he’d only heard him called it a single time, right before his audition. The boy nodded, his bottle-blonde fringe flopping along with his head. Kurt’s smile softened into something genuine with the way the movement reminded him of Sam, and he took a deep breath before saying, “Your audition was wonderful. You have a lovely bass to your voice.”

The boy’s entire face lit up, and even without knowing him or having ever spoken to him before, it was clear that Kurt’s compliment had made him incredibly happy. Kurt felt something warm curl around his chest and his smile became even  _ more _ genuine in the face of the other boy’s happiness. “Oh wow, Kurt!” he said quickly, angling his entire body towards Kurt and gesturing wildly as he spoke, “thank you so much! You were amazing too, of course, but just...wow Kurt. You sang like an angel in there, I had no idea you could do that! It was...yeah, it was  _ wow!” _

“That’s very kind, thank you,” Kurt told him, trying his very best not to sound  _ too _ flustered despite how warm his cheeks felt. A boy had  _ never _ complimented his singing. Honestly, a boy had never complimented his  _ anything _ before, and Kurt found that being complimented by a boy as cute as Jeff was...well, it was really quite nice. “You were both wonderful,” he said, moving forward a little so the compliment was clearly directed at the brunette as well.

“Maybe,” Jeff said, grasping Kurt’s attention again as he wrung his hands together. “I’ve...well, I’ve auditioned six times before, and I’ve never gotten a solo.”

“Really?” Kurt asked incredulously, running through the mental notes he’d taken of Jeff’s performance. “You really were incredible. There was so much emotion in your voice, and you articulated very well. Your timing may have been the smallest amount too fast, but you more than made up for that with your presence and tone.”

Jeff stared at him, his mouth hanging open in a way that Kurt found quite distracting. He’d been told it wasn’t a gay school, and while he believed that...Jeff did have bleached hair.  _ Well done _ bleached hair at that. Kurt certainly didn’t feel too guilty about checking him out and he found himself getting a little lost in the plumpness of his bottom lip before he started speaking again. 

“That’s...no one has ever said something like that about my singing before,” Jeff told him hesitantly, clearing his throat before sitting up a bit straighter and puffing out his chest in a way that was  _ really _ endearing. “So, you just transferred, right?”

Kurt nodded, sighing a bit and slumping where he was sitting. Jeff made a questioning noise, leaning in as Kurt said, “I have  _ a lot _ to catch up on. I’ve had to stop going home on the weekends so I can get more reading in.”

“That really sucks,” Jeff told him compassionately, adding, “I only get to go home on summer break, so I’m pretty much always here if you ever get bored.”

“That’s very nice, thank you,” Kurt told him with another smile. He’d never had a conversation with a boy like this before, and Kurt was doing his very best to ignore the way his heart was racing and how warm his cheeks felt. 

“M-maybe we could study together sometime?” Jeff asked shyly, then he sucked in a sharp breath and very quickly started saying, “So, uhm, would you maybe want to...”

Jeff was leaning in as he spoke, but he got cut off by Blaine opening the door and announcing that Nick and Jeff had moved on to the next round—something that Kurt hadn’t even known was possible, since he hadn’t been told there were  _ rounds _ to the audition process. 

Kurt stood with them, disappointment being outweighed by joy for Jeff, who had tried so many times before. He watched as they hugged, ignoring Blaine’s sad, puppy-like eyes and waiting to congratulate them on their victory. Suddenly, Jeff was turning to him with a giant, beaming grin, and before Kurt could process what was happening, Jeff was throwing his arms around Kurt’s neck and tugging him into a hug. 

“Oh!” Kurt exclaimed, but after a second he very slowly reached his arms around Jeff’s waist and hugged him back. His heart was racing almost painfully in his chest, but as he rubbed a hand up and down Jeff’s back slowly, he couldn’t help but soak in how very nice it felt to be hugged by a boy. “Congratulations, Jeff,” Kurt said quietly against Jeff’s shoulder, smiling when Jeff pulled back but kept hold of his shoulders. 

Kurt kept his own hands wrapped around Jeff’s sides, not entirely sure what he was doing but knowing he didn’t quite want to let go. “I’m so sorry you didn’t make it through,” Jeff told him, his lips pulled into a frown that looked genuine. 

“Nonsense,” Kurt told, squeezing his sides and feeling a little thrill when Jeff didn’t do anything to push him away. “You deserved it! You really were wonderful.”

“Date me?” Jeff blurted out at a  _ very _ loud volume, and then he moved his hands from Kurt’s shoulders to cover his face as he groaned. Kurt giggled a bit, letting his own hands fall to his side and missing the contact. He watched Jeff drag his hands down his face and noticed that his cheeks were bright red. “Uh, that was  _ so _ not smooth.”

Kurt shrugged, his heart racing as he laced his fingers together so he wouldn’t do something ridiculous like reach out and tug Jeff into a kiss. “I didn’t think it was too bad. The execution could use some work, but it was very direct.”

Jeff nodded quickly, his cheeks still incredibly red as he shuffled a step forward. “Really? I didn’t just ruin it?”

“Well, there’s still time,” Kurt teased. He took a very deep breath and looked into Jeff’s eyes, watching as greens and browns and hints of blue all swirled together, and said, “Why don’t you go rock that second round, and come over to my dorm later? We can do our homework together, and then head to dinner?”

Jeff’s mouth dropped open like it had when Kurt had complimented his singing and he couldn’t help but giggle. Jeff, who really seemed to be part bobblehead, nodded once again. “That would be the best thing ever, oh my god,” Jeff told him seriously. “I’ve never asked someone out before. I’m  _ so _ glad I didn’t ruin that.”

“You didn’t ruin it,” Kurt assured, letting himself shuffle a bit closer too. He reached out in a moment of insanity-induced-bravery to grab Jeff’s hand, holding it loosely. “Now, go in there. Win a solo. Then come prepared to study, alright?”

“Sir yes sir,” Jeff told him with a salute, squeezing his fingers around Kurt’s hand before letting go. He took a half step back when Kurt spoke up. 

“Oh,” Kurt said, taking one last step forward to close the distance and raising to press a quick kiss to Jeff’s check, falling back onto the flats of his feet with a racing heart and burning cheeks. “For good luck.”

“For good luck,” Jeff murmured, his fingers covering the spot Kurt had just kissed as his cheeks got even warmer. His eyes were a bit glazed over, but after a moment they focused down on Kurt as his lips stretched into a huge smile. “Thank you. There’s no way I can lose now.”

“No way,” Kurt agreed, laughing again when Jeff stood there smiling at him. “Go! Nick already went inside.”

“Oh shit, he did?” Jeff asked, turning his head rapidly and then saying, “Oh crap. I gotta go, but I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Kurt nodded, watching as Jeff bolted into the still-open doors, running past a shell-shocked looking Blaine. Kurt turned, not bothering to spare Blaine a glance as his lips curled into the widest smile he’d worn in  _ months _ as he skipped down the hall to his dorm. He had a date to prepare for!


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt was pacing nervously through his dorm, hands held stiffly at his sides as he did his best not to freak out. It had only been an hour since he got back to his room and there was every possibility that Jeff was still auditioning and he wasn’t being blown off. He...totally wasn’t being blown off and as long as he kept telling himself that, all would be well. 

All would be well. In the last hour, Kurt had changed out of his blazer and button-down and into the much, much more comfortable pullover sweater, pairing it with a pair of Dalton sweats—if he’d tailored them to fit him  _ perfectly,  _ well, that obviously had nothing to do with his selection. He just wanted to be comfortable, that was all. Not only had Kurt changed, but he had always run through a quick, refreshing skincare sequence and brushed a bit of the product out of his hair. 

Then, he had sat around for nearly half an hour before he got too anxious to keep sitting and decided that pacing back and forth was definitely a better use of his time than doing nothing. Of course, he  _ could  _ be studying. But Kurt was waiting on a boy to arrive for a  _ date, _ so really, he couldn’t be expected to do homework in such circumstances, could he? 

Kurt’s phone pinged and he dived for his bed, thanking whatever deity was watching him for the very, very welcome distraction. It was a text message from Carole, in reply to the full-bodied selfie he had sent her with a nervous message about whether or not he looked “first date appropriate” or if his outfit was too “bum-chic casual”.

The message was so Carole that he read it in her voice and couldn’t help but smile down at his screen. 

_ I think you look great honey! Perfect for a get-to-knowf-you-study-date. You’ll wow him. Send me the “deets” later ;)  _

Just as Kurt was beginning to type out a response, another text came through that made Kurt terribly homesick. 

_ Don’t worry, I won’t tell your dad. Thank you for telling me sweetie. Have fun! _

Kurt put a hand over his heart, focusing on the slight ache and wondering, like he did nearly every single night, if it was truly worth it.  _ It was, _ of course, because there was nothing Kurt wouldn’t give up for the freedom of feeling safe. It was something Kurt hadn’t realized he craved so badly until he had it, so painfully used to the constant fear and an ever-present hypervigilance. 

Sure, there were still times when Kurt jumped at slamming lockers, and every now and again he would look down both halls before turning a corner, but he was getting better. Dalton was awarding him something that was absolutely priceless—as his father insisted every single time Kurt apologized for the  _ actual _ price tag attached to the tuition and board—and that was  _ safety. _

Safety, which was something Kurt hadn’t known for so, so long. Safety and a chance at being  _ happy, _ something that, no matter how many friends he had in Glee, he knew he would never truly be achieved when he had to look over his shoulder every time he left a classroom, or had to avoid the boys washroom, or had to strategically enter and exit the school at pre-planned times to avoid being tossed into a dumpster. 

At Dalton, he didn’t have to worry about a single thing related to his safety. Kurt could just  _ be, _ for the very first time in his entire life, and it was so, so freeing. 

Yes, he missed his dad, and he missed Carole, who was a truly magnificent lady and loved his dad so very much, and...well, he didn’t miss Finn all that much, but he did miss his girls. But he didn’t miss being afraid, so no matter how much work it was, Kurt was going to do his very best at Dalton and make the very most of it. 

With a rather dramatic sigh—even for his own standards—Kurt forced himself out of his bed and to his desk. He wasn’t going to get anything done lying around waiting for Jeff to show up. Sure, he was the first boy to ever ask him out (Kurt wasn’t entirely sure if Blaine actually meant any of their coffee dates as date-dates, but he certainly wasn’t going to wait around for a boy when one  _ just _ as cute asked him out). 

Just as Kurt was opening up his History textbook, a very enthusiastic knock sounded out from his door. The knocking was rapid and happened in three quick bursts. Kurt jumped up from his desk chair and hurried to the door, spending a quick second to smooth down his hair and do a final purview of his outfit before he opened the door. 

“I got it!” Jeff exclaimed immediately. Kurt gasped, before squealing with joy and throwing his arms around Jeff’s neck to pull him into a hug without allowing himself even a moment to overthink the movement. Jeff laughed, his arms wrapped tightly around Kurt’s waist and then picking him up, spinning them around as they both laughed. 

“Oh my Gaga, Jeff!” Kurt said, leaning back in Jeff’s arms once his feet were finally on the ground so he could see the boy’s charming grin. “That’s amazing! Congratulations!”

Jeff beamed down at him, and Kurt got a little distracted by just how handsome he was, with his straight, white teeth and blonde bangs. “Thank you, really. It was definitely due to your good luck kiss.”

Kurt felt his cheeks tint red at the reminder of his impulsive decision, but seeing as they were still holding each other in a mirror of how they’d held each other earlier, he really, really couldn't bring himself to be  _ too _ embarrassed. “Well, I’m glad to be your good luck charm.”

They stared at each other for a long, endless minute before Jeff laughed awkwardly, taking a hand from Kurt’s waist to rub the back of his neck. Kurt took his hands from his shoulders and stepped back, holding his hands by his sides as his cheeks heated up again. That...was definitely flirting, right? Kurt hadn’t ever flirted with anyone before (and again, Blaine totally didn’t count since he hadn’t even noticed), but that seemed flirty. 

“Do you want to go get dinner first?” Jeff asked him. On cue, the boy’s stomach grumbled, and they met eyes before they both burst out laughing. Jeff was blushing and he rubbed the back of his neck when he said, “I’m sorry. I was too nervous to really eat at lunch, so I’m starving.”

“That’s alright,” Kurt told him easily, glad the moment was broken. He grabbed his key from the pocket of his blazer and slipped the rubber band he kept it on around his wrist before crossing the room back to Jeff. “This is appropriate for the dining hall, right?” Kurt asked, using a hand to indicate his outfit and doing a little twirl—absolutely  _ not _ showing off, of course. 

When he looked up, Jeff’s eyes were staring at his legs and his mouth was dropped open enticingly like it had earlier. Kurt felt a little bead of pride swell up his chest, and he gave Jeff the coyest smile he could pull off when he asked, “Well?”

Jeff’s eyes snapped to his, and he swayed forward as he cleared his throat, his cheeks pink. “Y-yeah, Kurt, that’s...your pants?”

“I tailored them,” Kurt told him, all but floating by and making his way out of the room, having to all but press-up against Jeff to get out as he was only step into the door. When Kurt turned on his ankle, he caught Jeff raising his eyes from his ass. “So, we have a date, don’t we?”

“Oh my god yes,” Jeff rushed out, scrambling after Kurt and into the hall. Kurt giggled, pulling his door shut and locking it. “Yes, we do, because you said “yes”, which, have I mentioned, was totally awesome?”

“You haven’t,” Kurt told him, smiling over at him as they began walking towards the stairs, “but I’m certainly agreeable. In fact, I think you asking me out was  _ super _ totally awesome,” Kurt teased, his smile widening when Jeff threw his head back and laughed. 

“I...I’ve wanted to ask you out for a while,” Jeff admitted quietly. They turned into one of the main hallways, though it wasn’t too loud. Dinner opened at four-thirty, but the cafeteria was the busiest at six as it didn’t stop serving until seven-thirty. 

“You have?” Kurt asked, ducking his head a bit in embarrassment. He hadn’t really noticed the boy before that day, so caught up in his homework and trying his very best to fit in time with Blaine that he hadn’t really spoken to anyone else. 

“Uhm, yeah? Is that a lame thing to say?” Jeff asked him, letting Kurt pull open the door to the cafeteria before he walked through it. The only difference between Dalton’s cafeteria and the cafeteria at McKinley was the food services. The rest was the same, a large room filled with cafeteria tables. There were only a handful of boys sitting about—most likely all members of groups that met later in the evening.

“I don’t think so!” Kurt said quickly, following the other boy over to grab a tray and then heading to the salad bar. There was an  _ excellent _ selection of fresh vegetables and an array of dressings that Kurt absolutely adored, especially when he thought of the horror that had been the salad bar at McKinley. So much expired produce. “I...that’s actually really sweet.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Jeff told him with a grin, piling a plate with a salad. Kurt did so as well, then followed Jeff over to the hot boxes. “Can I get the chicken and vegetables, please?” he asked politely, and he thanked the cafeteria lady when she handed him a plate. 

Kurt moved up next, and said, “Hi Connie.”

“Heya, Kurt. How’s the studying going?” Connie asked him, an older woman who Kurt had fallen in love with during his first weeks when he was so out of sorts he usually ran into the cafeteria last minute in hopes of finding something semi-nutritious before retreating back to his dorm to study. She was a sweetheart who started saving him food the third night Kurt had rushed in spewing apologies about his lateness. 

“It’s going alright, thank you,” he said, holding up his plate for her to place some sliced, grilled chicken over—a specialty just for him. “Each time I think I’m getting caught up, I end up realizing I’m still chapters and chapters away from being where I need to be.”

“Well, we’re all rooting for you, yeah?” Connie told him with a grin, then in a stage whisper asked, “You need any coffee tonight?”

Kurt laughed at the outraged noise Jeff made before he asked, “Connie, you’re withholding  _ caffeine?  _ I mean, I know Kurt’s the cutest boy here, but I’ve got my good qualities too!”

“Sorry sugar, coffee after two is only for little sweethearts working their butts off,” Connie winked at him, then gave Kurt an  _ incredibly _ suggestive look when Jeff faux swooned. Kurt made a scandalized noise and pulled his tray back, hissing, “Not in front of the food!”

Connie laughed again, shooing them away with another bout of laughter. Kurt smiled and called a thank you after her, leading Jeff over to his preferred table—near the door but not too close, a clear view of the whole cafeteria, and nowhere near a dumpster. Sure, he was safe now, but old habits die hard. 

“She seems nice,” Jeff said as they sat down opposite of each other.

“She’s great,” Kurt agreed, explaining how they had gotten to know each other. 

“So, studying? That’s a known thing?” Jeff asked a few minutes later, a faint blush still on his cheeks that Kurt couldn’t help finding incredibly endearing. 

“Hmm?”

“I figured I only knew you studied so much ‘cause I had a giant crush and may have been a little bit creepy with the staring at times,” Jeff told him. He ate another bite of chicken, then seemed to realize what he said as his face took on a look of sheer horror.

Again, Kurt threw his head back laughing. Holding his sides as giggles wracked through him, Kurt realized he honestly couldn't remember when the last time he’d laughed like this would have been. 

“Just end me now,” Jeff groaned, dropping his head onto the table dramatically. 

Kurt reached over and took his hand, curling his fingers around his palm and running his thumb over his knuckles, smiling shyly when Jeff’s head snapped up. “Like I said earlier, I think it’s really sweet.”

“Well, at least you do. I think it’s embarrassing,” Jeff groaned, but he did sit up and reach for his fork with his left before taking an awkward-looking bite. When Kurt tried to take his hand back so Jeff could eat, the other boy made a wordless noise of protest and grabbed him back. 

Kurt smiled, unable to do anything else as he took another bite himself. Kurt didn’t think he’d ever felt so comfortable in someone’s presence, and he knew for a fact that he’d never felt so comfortable with another boy. Jeff was so, so sweet, and he didn’t seem to be scared by the fact that he liked Kurt—something that was a  _ very _ refreshing change. 

They finished quickly, chatting about Jeff’s second song. Kurt commended him on his song choice and managed to get Jeff to agree to give him a private show, both boys blushing at the double entendre there. They finished fairly quickly—they  _ were _ two teenage boys after all—and tossed their garbage out. Kurt was rather impressed that Jeff put his dishes into one of the large containers and then placed his cleared tray on the shelving unit and didn’t put the dish-covered-tray there like so many of the other boys did. 

“Now, study?” Kurt asked once he had disposed of his own tray and dishes and got himself a pump of sanitizer from the wall dispenser. 

“Study,” Jeff confirmed with a decisive nod of his head. Then he turned on his heel and held out his arm, asking, “My arm, good sir?”

Kurt laughed, smiling fondly and gently wrapping his hands around Jeff’s bicep, saying, “Why thank you, good sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think this chapter is cute just WAIT for next week! Schmoopiest fluff I’ve EVER written


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt’s heart was beating quickly by the time they made it back to his room. His hands were still tucked around Jeff’s arm and their bodies were pressed close together. They had talked a bit more about Jeff’s performance, and then a bit about the Warblers at large as they slowly made their way back to Kurt’s dorm. Kurt still wasn’t entirely sure how the group worked, and it was so, so very different from The New Directions and their crazy, hodgepodge idea of show choir. 

It was crazy to hear about the rules and the schedule and everything that went into being part of the group. Honestly, Kurt was reconsidering whether or not he should even stay in the club now that he knew a bit more about what type of commitment it would be. Blaine hadn’t told him any of the things that he was hearing now. 

“You have to do what’s best for you,” Jeff told him sweetly as they stopped outside of Kurt’s room, “but no matter what you choose, I’d really like to sing with you sometime.”

“I’d love that,” Kurt said quickly, already imagining how their voices would blend together, a smile twisting his lips up as he stared unseeingly at the door. Jeff cleared his throat and Kurt realized he’d lost himself staring off into space and flushed. “This is my room,” Kurt told him awkwardly, gesturing with one hand at his door. Jeff snorted—which,  _ rude— _ and bumped their hips together. “Right,” Kurt said, pulling away so he could get the door open. He took a step inside and threw his arm out, saying, “Welcome!”

Jeff laughed, but it was a kind noise. No one had ever laughed at him if it wasn’t in mocking and Kurt found himself smiling at Jeff as he stepped inside, grabbing the sports bag he’d dropped right inside the door earlier. 

“Thank you, my good sir,” Jeff joked, bowing in front of Kurt before moving further into the room. Kurt’s smile stayed stubbornly on his face when he realized that he was  _ comfortable _ with Jeff being in his space. “So, this is all yours?”

Jeff twirled with his arms out, indicating the double room Kurt had to himself. Each side of the room had a single bed with an end table, a desk with a chair, and a wardrobe, separated by the door to the washroom in the middle of the room. “Yep! Because I transferred so late, all that was open was this double, but there wasn’t anyone in it, so I get it to myself. They might revisit my rooming next semester, but for now, I’m in here alone.”

“That’s so nice,” Jeff told him, spinning the desk chair in front of the empty desk and flopping into it. He dropped his bag onto that desk, and Kurt moved ahead to sit on his own chair. “I really like how you made that bed look like a couch.”

Kurt had stacked pillows along the other couch and the wall, taking advantage of the fact that it was in a corner to style it as a daybed. Kurt liked sitting there to read, especially as he’d added a foam topper to each mattress, and then piled the daybed with a ridiculous amount of throw blankets. 

“Thank you,” Kurt said hesitantly. His only previous experience with a boy and interior decorating had been Finn’s reaction to Kurt’s redecoration of their bedroom and that...hadn’t gone very well. 

Jeff smiled at him, then went through his bag and pulled out a textbook. “Nick and I room together and...well, he’s my best friend, but he’s also a gross dude, ya know? Our room can get  _ really _ messy, so if I ever ask you to come over—be smart and say no,” Jeff told him with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck as they looked at each other. He added, “I’d been in a single last year, but I got my parents to switch me out after Nick transferred. It’s fun, but he snores like a freaking chainsaw and doesn’t hang up his towels after he showers.”

“I am going to be completely honest here,” Kurt told him sagely as a look of disgust crossed his face, “that sounds absolutely horrible.”

Jeff threw his head back and laughed, and knowing he had caused it made Kurt’s chest feel warm. “Yeah, no kidding. Your room is, like,  _ super _ clean.”

“I’m not a big fan of mess,” Kurt told him slowly, not wanting the boy he was interested in to think he was weird. 

“Hey, I like it. I wish our room looked like this, but I’m kinda lazy and he’s  _ really  _ lazy, so it’s usually pretty bad,” Jeff told him shrugging, still looking around the room. 

Kurt had done a few things to make it feel homier—turning the spare bed into a daybed had been one of them. He missed the couch he had in his basement room, so turning the second bed into something similar was a homage to that. He’d brought a few art pieces with him that he had hung up on the walls using adhesive hooks, and he’d hung three black and white photographs spaced out on the wall his bed was against. 

“This place looks awesome,” Jeff told him, finally turning back to Kurt with a big smile.

Kurt felt himself blush, and he dropped his eyes to Jeff’s socked feet, not having noticed he must have followed Kurt’s example and taken his shoes off. And true enough, when Kurt looked over to his door, Jeff’s sneakers were lined up neatly beside his. 

“Thank you. I like decorating.” Jeff smiled at him again, and before silence could reign, Kurt asked, “Did you and Nick know each other before this year? You said you transferred from a single room when he came here?”

“Yep! He’s been my best friend since the third grade,” Jeff told him with a smile that Kurt felt silly being jealous about. He  _ just _ said that Nick was his  _ friend, _ and it wasn’t like Kurt had any sort of claim on him either way. “He’d been at another school, cause he was closer to Homestead than Dalton, but after being separated Freshman year, he got his parents to switch him over, thankfully.” 

“That’s nice,” Kurt told him genuinely. He didn't know what it was like to have been friends with someone for years, but that sounded a little too depressing to say on what was supposed to be a first date. “Is Homestead another school?”

Jeff blinked at him, tilting his head to the side with a confused frown on his face. Kurt flushed, feeling stupid, and tangled his fingers together so he wouldn’t start picking at something. “Oh, uhm, yeah? It’s another school.”

Kurt nodded, but he didn’t say anything. He felt silly. It certainly wasn’t a  _ new _ feeling for him—he was used to feeling out of his depth when it came to boys and the things they talked about—but so far it hadn’t happened with Jeff. Maybe the other boy noticed, because he smiled slightly and added, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you would know that, even if for me it seems like common knowledge. I’m sure you’ve noticed that most of the guys here come from pretty established families?”

Kurt nodded, figuring by established, Jeff meant rich. He definitely  _ had _ noticed, and from what he’d heard, there were only a very few boys here on academic scholarships. “Right. Well, Homestead is another prep school, but it’s in Akron. Nick and I went to the same primary school, which went right up to the eighth grade. So Freshman year I went to Dalton as it’s closer to my family, but Nick went to Homestead as it’s closer to his. Our primary school had been right in the middle and had been a long commute each day, which was why our parents each sent us to schools a bit closer to home.”

Kurt blinked, not quite sure what to say. His dad owned a garage. A garage that, for several years after his father had taken over, hadn’t made an income. Kurt knew, as he’d been balancing the books since he was twelve, that even now, they only did okay. Kurt also knew, if only because he was rather quite nosy, that they had hospital bills from Burt’s stay that they were still taking care of. 

He just...couldn’t imagine what it would have been like for Jeff, not when he came from so little. Kurt had been working for his own spending money since he was twelve and doing chores around the house and sweeping up at the shop. Of course, he had no idea what it was like for Jeff, if the boy had money of his own or had worked, but just the idea that his parents had been paying for a single dorm was...well, Kurt knew how much they were. 

“So now you two share a dorm,” Kurt clarified. When Jeff nodded, he asked, “Do you two get much studying done?”

_ “No!” _ Jeff said with a feeling, laughing as he explained, “I have a test Friday that I do  _ not _ want to do, and I haven’t even started studying, so this was actually a really good idea.”

Kurt let out a relieved breath as he turned towards his desk and pulled out his agenda, focusing on his work and trying to push back the differences between them. He had everything he needed to work on  _ very  _ organized. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to survive otherwise, not with how much he  _ still _ had to catch up on. “I am  _ so _ glad you don’t think this is totally awful,” Kurt admitted, grabbing the textbook he needed from the neat lineup he had them all in. “I have  _ so much _ that I still have to do and I really cannot take an unplanned night off studying.”

“Hey that’s cool,” Jeff told him. Kurt looked over to give him a smile only to find his head ducked towards the desk, his cheeks pink. “I’m still a little surprised you said yes.”

“What! Why?” 

Jeff shrugged, ruffling his hair as he seemed to deflate. “I dunno. I guess I’m just...I know that I can be a lot at times. I’ve...been told I can be too enthusiastic.”

“Jeff, I think your enthusiasm is very endearing,” Kurt told him seriously, a kind smile on his face. “Really, it’s rather cute how excited you always seem to be, and it was really, really sweet that you got so excited earlier.”

Jeff’s lips pulled up into a smile that made Kurt’s heart jump to see, knowing he’d been the one to put it there. Even now that he was...friendly with the boys in Glee, he certainly wasn’t  _ friends _ with any of them, and he wasn’t making any of them laugh and smile. 

“Thanks,” he said, almost shyly. Kurt definitely knew what he was feeling, since Jeff had complimented him earlier and he’d felt just as embarrassingly pleased as Jeff seemed to now. A second later he tilted his head to the side and asked, “Wait, why  _ do  _ you have so much studying to do?” 

“Well, I still have to take finals with you guys at the end of the semester,” Kurt told him, and then added, “and I really need to do well. The cost is so, so high, and if I can do something to bring it down, I’m going to try my best.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Jeff asked him, turning his chair so the other boy was facing him, looking at Kurt intently. 

“Dalton offers scholarships,” Kurt said, and he started to explain when Jeff gave him an absolutely clueless look. “If I can score within the top ten percent of our year, I can qualify for an academic scholarship. Top five would be even better, since that scholarship would also cover all of my books.”

“Wait, you have to pay for the books?”

“Yes,” Kurt told him, looking at the frown on Jeff’s face and then expanding, “everything has a price to it. There’s a general tuition fee each semester, but then the books are each an additional fee, the uniform and each add-on beyond the basic three pieces is a fee. The dorm is a fee and then the meal plan is a separate fee as well.”

“Oh wow,” Jeff said with a whistle, his eyes going wide. “I didn’t know any of that.”

Kurt’s smile was a touch strained, but he did his best to keep it genuine. “Yes, well.”

“I’m...” Jeff trailed off, running a hand down his face with a heavy sigh. “Shit. I probably sound like such an asshole right now.”

“No!” Kurt protested, because it was true. It wasn’t like it was Jeff’s  _ fault _ that his family had enough money to send him to Dalton without having to worry. It wasn’t his fault that they came from  _ vastly _ different backgrounds. “No, not at all. We come from different backgrounds, but there isn’t anything wrong with that.”

Jeff gave him a smile, and they trailed off into a silence that wasn’t uncomfortable, exactly, but wasn’t quite comfortable, either. Kurt didn’t know how to break it, so he went back to studying. He really did have a lot to do, and he had been telling the truth about needing to study. While he was getting closer and closer to being caught up, he still had so, so much to teach himself if he wanted to ace his finals—which really, was what he needed to do. 

They worked silently for nearly an hour. Kurt was good at focusing when he needed to, and he blocked out everything but the lines of text he was reading through and the notes that he was taking. Eventually, Kurt was pulled from his concentration by a bang and jumped in his seat. When he looked over, it was to find Jeff’s head against the desk he was working at, his whole body slumped over. 

“Okay...I think I’ve done all I can do to prepare for this test,” Jeff mumbled into his papers. Kurt giggled at him, stretching his arms above his head and arching his back with a deep groan, sighing contently when his back popped and the tension that had built up as he’d been bent over all faded away. 

When Kurt slumped back in his chair and looked over, Jeff was staring at him with wide eyes, his mouth dropped open, and his cheeks pink. Kurt flushed himself, realizing that his sweater had risen up and adjusting it so it was once again covering his belly. He watched Jeff’s eyes snap up to meet his, and his cheeks flushed even darker. 

“You’re so gorgeous, Kurt,” Jeff told him, sounding breathless and genuine and just a little overwhelmed. 

Kurt’s cheeks flushed, biting into his bottom lip to stop himself from doing something silly like bursting out crying just because a boy thought he was attractive. Growing up in Lima hadn’t been easy, and for so, so long, Kurt thought that he would have to spend another few years being alone. “Thank you,” he finally managed, tapping his feet against the carpeted floor as he chewed on his bottom lip before he finally managed to say, “I think you’re very attractive too.”

“Cool,” Jeff told him with a big, silly smile, ruffling the back of his hair again. 

Jeff stood up, swaying back and forth before making his way over to Kurt. Kurt watched him with a smile, turning back to put his books away. Clearly, they were done studying, and Kurt wasn’t too sure that he minded that. 

“Have you ever dated anyone before?” Jeff asked him, shuffling his feet as he looked over Kurt’s shoulder. Kurt bust out laughing, spinning his chair and looking up at the serious look on Jeff’s face and then laughing again. 

“Sorry, it’s...” Kurt trailed off, hunching his shoulders a bit as he thought about what he wanted to say and how much he wanted to reveal. “Well, obviously transferring schools in the home stretch of a semester isn’t normal. I was being bullied.” 

Kurt cut himself off, taking a deep breath. He’d never laid it all out for someone before, and he was nervous about doing so. Nervous about thinking of all the things that had been done to him for years. Jeff reached down and laced their fingers together, squeezing his hand tightly as he said, “You don’t have to tell me any more if you don’t want to.”

Kurt nodded, thankful. He found that it was even harder than he had expected. Taking a deep breath, he stood up, which, as Jeff didn’t step back, brought them incredibly close together. Jeff’s hand grabbed his hip when Kurt swayed forward, and he murmured, “Easy.”

Kurt nodded, not sure what to do with his hands and leaving them hanging at his side. They’d hugged,  _ twice,  _ but Kurt felt so, so awkward at being so close together. 

“It’s almost curfew,” Jeff told him quietly, his voice barely anything more than a whisper. Kurt nodded, finding his mouth dry and unable to say anything as he stared into Jeff’s eyes, getting lost in the shifting shades of brown and the specks of gold that surrounded his iris. 

“You should go then,” Kurt whispered his hands still hanging by his sides, Jeff’s hand was still on his hip, and his heart was still racing. Jeff nodded, and neither of them said anything. 

His first kiss had been so bad. It had kept Kurt awake at night for  _ weeks, _ thinking about what had happened, how it had felt, how  _ awful _ it had been. But...Kurt took a deep breath, hating himself for thinking about  _ Karofsky _ after such an  _ amazing _ night with a boy who liked him, but wondering if maybe that didn’t have to be the only thing he thought of when he thought about kissing a boy. 

So, taking another deep breath, Kurt asked, “May I give you a kiss?”

Jeff’s head immediately snapped up from he’d been ducking it forward but still looking into Kurt’s eyes, and he looked at Kurt with wide eyes and the dropped-open mouth that seemed to be a staple for Jeff when he was surprised. 

“Oh my god,  _ yes.  _ Kurt, you literally like, never have to ask me that oh wow,” Jeff told him, his hand spasming against the side of Kurt’s hip. Kurt giggled, a nervous reflex that caused him to duck his head in embarrassment. 

Kurt took a deep breath and then looked back up, raising his hand and gently trailing the tips of his fingers over Jeff’s jaw. The other boy sucked in a breath through his nose, his eyes wide as he stared at Kurt. His skin was smoother than Kurt'd been expecting from a boy—not as smooth as his own, of course, but Kurt doubted he just used body wash like the boys he knew—and he trailed his fingers down to Jeff’s neck, before gently placing his hand against the groove of his neck and shoulder. 

Slowly, Kurt began to lean forward. He could feel his heartbeat all the way up in his throat, and it was racing away almost violently. He kept his eyes open, but they weren’t wide with fear like they had been the last time he was this close to another boy. Rather, they were half-lidded, his breath racing out of him as they got closer and closer. 

There weren’t any fireworks when their lips touched, but Jeff’s bottom lip was warm and smooth when Kurt sandwiched it between his own. He pursed his lips slightly—his only previous experience with kissing a boy had been Karofsky and he tried to block out much of what happened with Brittany—not entirely sure what he was doing but knowing that heat was racing through his body and warming him from the inside out. 

Jeff shuffled closer, and his lips moved a little against Kurt’s, and  _ oh, oh that was why people kissed so much.  _ Kurt made a short, breathless sounding gasp, pressing even closer and kissing Jeff even firmer, the hand that he had on the other boy’s neck gripping him tightly until it was too much and he had to pull back enough to breath. 

He rested his forehead against Jeff’s, the two of them breathing together quietly. Kurt didn’t know what to say. It felt like he was floating away, no longer tethered to the ground and that if he didn’t stop himself, his feet would never touch the ground again. Jeff’s hand was so very warm against his hip even through the fabric of his sweats, and Kurt focused on that point of contact and let it ground him. 

“I really need to go now,” Jeff whispered, and Kurt tossed his head back with a laugh before drawing Jeff into another, longer kiss. 

“Yes you do,” Kurt whispered, pressing their foreheads together again. 

“Have a good night,” Jeff whispered, his forehead warm against Kurt’s own. Kurt nodded and the movement caused their lips to brush together. He kissed Jeff again, and then took a half step back. 

“Wow,” he said quietly, happy when Jeff nodded his agreement. “A-Alright. Will I see you for breakfast tomorrow?”

Jeff’s smile grew even wider, and he swayed forward to brush their lips together again. “You wanna get breakfast together?” Kurt nodded, and Jeff let out a breath that Kurt felt against his lips before he said, “That’s so awesome.”

Kurt giggled, nodding, and then got his hand and Jeff’s hip and gently pushed him back. “You’ve got to go,” he said quietly, moving towards the front door. They kissed again after Jeff put his shoes on, then another time once Jeff rushed back to get his books and his bag. “This is your last kiss,” Kurt told him seriously, rolling his eyes at Jeff’s pout. “It’s nearly curfew, and I don’t want either of us getting in trouble!”

“That seems reasonable,” Jeff told him, grabbing Kurt’s hips with both hands and tugging him in, “but can I get kisses tomorrow morning?”

Kurt bit into his bottom lip to hold down the overwhelming grin that wanted to split over his face, and he nodded. Jeff kissed him, capturing Kurt’s bottom lip between his own and giving it a little suck. Kurt gasped, his entire body tingling at the feeling, going breathless once again. He pulled back after another quick kiss, his cheeks burning and his fingers pressed along Jeff’s jaw, and said, “If you leave now you can have as many kisses as you want in the morning.”

Jeff threw his hands into the air and stumbled back into the door, rushing to get it open. Kurt laughed as he watched him, his heart racing and his chest feeling so, so full that it felt heavy. He watched Jeff struggle for the door handle behind himself, smiling fondly at the other boy’s antics, his lips still tingling. His cheeks were hurting from smiling so much, and Kurt couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy. 

“Sweet dreams,” Kurt wished when Jeff got out the door and was standing in the hallway, still watching him. 

Jeff winked at him before he said, “Oh they will be,” with another obnoxious wink that had Kurt laughing again. 

Kurt watched him walk down the hall, leaning against the door frame. Before Jeff turned the corner at the end of the hall, he turned around and waved, smiling widely when Kurt was still watching him. Kurt smiled back, unable to do anything else, and gently closed the door. He leaned against it, not sure if his knees would keep holding him up as his thoughts raced. 

Not only had a boy asked him out, but that boy had  _ kissed  _ him, more than once, and hadn’t wanted to stop. Kurt could barely breathe through the heaviness of everything that’d happened, and he quickly made his way across his room so he could throw himself onto his bed and scream into a pillow, bursting out into crazed chuckles as he closed his eyes and remembered what Jeff’s hand had felt like in his own and what their lips had felt like pressed together. 

“Oh Gaga,” Kurt whispered to himself, grabbing his phone from his bedside table and thumbing it open. He hesitated over Carole’s contact since it was nearly ten, but...he hadn’t had a mother in a very long time, and even if his eyes were burning as he started dialling Carole’s number, nothing could bring down his smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one gives me heart palpitations, i hope you like it!

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi to me on [tumblr](https://lavender-lotion.tumblr.com/)!  
> comments and kudos are much appreciated!


End file.
